Bathurst 1000 2026: Dates, Track, Tickets & How to Get There

Bathurst 1000 2026: Dates, Track, Tickets & How to Get There

The Repco Bathurst 1000 runs from Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 October 2026 at Mount Panorama in Bathurst, New South Wales. It's Australia's biggest endurance motor race — 161 laps of the 6.213 km Mount Panorama circuit — and the single busiest week of the year for accommodation across the Blue Mountains, Central Tablelands and every town on the roads leading in from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

This guide covers everything a first-time or returning fan needs to know: what the race is, when and where it happens, how to get there from each capital city, ticket types, and where to stay. For turn-by-turn road trip itineraries, see our dedicated driving guides linked at the end.

What is the Bathurst 1000?

The Bathurst 1000 is Australia's premier Supercars endurance race, held annually at the Mount Panorama Circuit. Two drivers share each car across 1,000 km of racing — 161 laps of the mountain — making it as much a test of strategy, tyre management and teamwork as outright speed.

Quick facts:

Mount Panorama is a public road for most of the year, open to drivers doing the lap at a strict 60 km/h speed limit — so if you're planning a trip outside race week, you can still drive "The Mountain" yourself.

When and where is the Bathurst 1000 in 2026?

The 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000 runs Thursday 8 October to Sunday 11 October, at Mount Panorama Circuit, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, NSW 2795 — around 200 km west of Sydney in the Central Tablelands.

Race day itself is the Sunday, but practice, qualifying, the Top 10 Shootout and support categories run across all four days, and the town fills up from the Wednesday night onward.

How to get to Bathurst

Bathurst is reachable by road from every major eastern-Australian capital. Distances and drive times below are non-stop estimates — allow more during race week traffic.

There's no direct commercial airport serving Bathurst at scale — most fly-in visitors land in Sydney and drive or bus the final leg. Bathurst Airport does operate limited regional and charter flights during race week.

For full day-by-day driving itineraries, overnight stops and accommodation recommendations, see our dedicated route guides for Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide travellers, linked at the bottom of this page.

Tickets, grandstands and camping

Bathurst 1000 tickets are sold as 4-day passes covering the full Thursday–Sunday program (single-day tickets are generally not available for the main event).

• General Admission — walk-around access to public viewing areas across the circuit, plus a Paddock Pass to see the teams and garages. This is the most flexible and most popular ticket type.
• Grandstand seating — reserved seats in one of several grandstands (e.g. Pit Straight, or the covered Mountain Straight stand), sold only as 4-day passes and including General Admission access.
• Paddock Pass — behind-the-scenes access to team garages and transporters; note this does not include event entry on its own and must be paired with a valid ticket.
• Corporate hospitality — premium packages with catering, typically overlooking pit lane or the front straight.
• Camping — on-mountain campgrounds (including Paddock, Reid Park and McPhillamy Park areas) are highly sought after and often sell out well in advance, with priority renewal systems for returning campers.

Tickets and official packages are sold through Supercars Travel and authorised agents. Given how far in advance camping and grandstand seating sell out, it's worth locking in both tickets and accommodation at the same time.

Where to stay

Bathurst's own accommodation sells out first and fastest for race week — often many months ahead. A well-established alternative is to base yourself at a Golden Chain motel in one of the towns along your approach route, and drive in for the day, or use it as a stopover on the way to a multi-night Bathurst stay.

Golden Chain properties sit at convenient overnight stops on all three main approach routes, including Cowra, Wagga Wagga, Hay, Narrandera, Albury, Gundagai, Junee, Goulburn and Sydney. Book direct with each motel for the best rates — race-week availability moves fast, so earlier is better.

Seasonal advice

October is early spring on the NSW Central Tablelands. Expect mild, changeable weather — days can be pleasant while mornings and evenings turn cold, especially given Bathurst's elevation. Pack layers, and keep an eye on the forecast in the days before you travel, since spring weather in the mountains and Tablelands can shift quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Bathurst 1000 in 2026? Thursday 8 October to Sunday 11 October 2026, at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, NSW.

How long is the Bathurst 1000 race? 1,000 km, run over 161 laps of the 6.213 km Mount Panorama circuit.

How far is Bathurst from Sydney? About 200 km, a 2.5–3 hour drive via the Great Western Highway.

Can you drive Mount Panorama yourself? Yes — for most of the year Mount Panorama operates as a public road with a strict 60 km/h speed limit, so visitors can drive the circuit outside race week.

Do I need a ticket for every day of the event? Tickets are generally sold as 4-day passes covering Thursday to Sunday, rather than single-day entry.

Is camping available at Mount Panorama? Yes, in designated on-mountain campgrounds, though sites are in high demand and often sell out well ahead of race week, with priority given to returning campers in some years.

What's the best way to book accommodation for race week? As early as possible. In-town Bathurst accommodation sells out first; Golden Chain motels along the Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide approach routes offer a reliable alternative, but those also fill quickly during race week.

What was the Bathurst 1000 originally called? It began in 1963 as the Armstrong 500, run at Phillip Island before moving permanently to Mount Panorama.

Plan your trip

• Road trip guides: Sydney to Bathurst 1000 road trip · Melbourne to Bathurst 1000 road trip · Adelaide to Bathurst 1000 road trip
• Destination guides: Bathurst travel guide · Blue Mountains travel guide · Riverina region guide · Barossa Valley guide
• Book direct: Find a Golden Chain motel along your route and book direct for the best race-week rates.

Golden Chain is Australia's largest independent motel group, with around 250 locally owned and operated properties across Australia and further sites across Bali, Norfolk Island and Vanuatu.

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